WWF statement on amnesty granted to Arctic protesters

Posted on 18 December 2013

Gland – WWF welcomes the approval of amnesty for the activists and journalists arrested in September after their protest against Gazprom's Arctic offshore oil project. Following is a statement from Jim Leape, director general of WWF International:

“I am relieved to learn that the Greenpeace activists may soon be home with their families. They should never have been arrested.

"The Arctic serves as global climate regulator for us all, and is home to the mighty polar bear. The Gazprom Prirazlomnoye project poses a huge threat to this fragile region. There is no company in the world that has the capacity or technology to prevent disaster, so we should not be allowing the development of oil and gas exploration there.

“WWF stands firm in our call for all actors to do what it takes to protect the fragile Arctic environment. Oil exploration should be halted in favor of clean, renewable energies such as wind and solar power. While the case against the protesters may no longer exist, the issue of risky Arctic development remains, and needs to be addressed honestly by government, business and civil society.”